Michael 
What makes February so special? Now, some of you are going to shout out Valentine’s Day while throwing candy in the air in a celebratory fashion. Well, yeah, there’s Valentine’s Day, but that’s not what I was thinking about. What makes February so special to me is that it means it’s time again for the annual WiHM (Women in Horror Month).
What’s WiHM about you ask? To answer that question I hopped over to their website and grabbed this from their about section. “Women in Horror Month (WiHM) is an international, grassroots initiative, which encourages supporters to learn about and showcase the underrepresented work of women in the horror industries. Whether they are on the screen, behind the scenes, or contributing in their other various artistic ways, it is clear that women love, appreciate, and contribute to the horror genre.” There’s a lot of great information on their website, so here’s the link if you want to go check it out. http://www.womeninhorrormonth.com/
The reason I found out about WiHM in the first place was due to a movie screener I was sent for the Massive Blood Drive PSA, which was curated by the Soskas sisters. The goal of the Massive Blood Drive PSA is to get people to donate blood, which is a really good cause, but some people see giving blood as a scary thing. So, the Soskas’s threw together the Massive Blood Drive PSA, which encourages viewers to face their fears and help others through an anthology of horror short films.
This February marks the 7th annual WiHM, and again, I got a chance to check out a short film for the PSA. This time the short was by Patricia Chica, which can be found in the WiH Massive Blood Drive PSA 2016 on YouTube, called Bloody Burlesque. This year’s entry from Chica makes the third time in a row she’s been invited to return to the Massive Blood Drive PSA.
Bloody Burlesque, was written/directed by Patricia Chica and stars Tonya Kay and Tiffany Shepis. The short is about a burlesque dancer that comes out on stage to give the audience a performance they weren’t expecting. The longer she dances the more the audience watches in awe. Soon everyone realizes her dance is also a cure to her ills. Bloody Burlesque, just like the rest of the PSA’s, has a very creative way of reminding us… “It’s in you to give.” Now, the PSA short has a running time of 2:46, but an expanded version of Chica’s short film will be shown on the festival circuit during the 2016/2017 season under the name Crimson Dance.
So, as February marches on, check out what WiHM is up to and see what you can do to show your support. Also, feel free to let the blood flow… and donate. Because you gave, someone out in the world will truly appreciate that it was there when they needed it!